Horseshoe.



P-ATENTED MAR. 13, 1906.

G. HAUFo HORSESHOE.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

HORSESHOE'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 13, 1906.

Application filedflctober 27, 1905. Serial No. 284,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HAUF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to improvements in horseshoes.

In a large percentage of cases injuries to the foot of a horse result from pressure upon the heel, either from the shoe or from stones or other hard obstructions in the roadway.

The object of this invention is to provide a form of shoe in which the heel of the horses foot will be yieldingly supported and protected from injury.

In the following description reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a view of my improved horseshoe, showing the under surface. Fig. 2 is a sectional view drawn on the line in a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view drawn on line y y of Fig. 1.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

A piece of leather or suitable flexible material is cut in the general form of the hoof or foot of the horse and forms the upper layer A of the shoe. A layer B of rubber, having the same general contour, is adjusted to the under surface of the layer A; but this layer B is preferably made thicker along the rear margin than at the frontand tapers gradually in thickness from rear to front. The under surface of the layer B is provided with two depending projections C, which are preferably located a little in the rear of the transverse center line and which serve as heel-calks. A metallic plate D is adjusted to the under surface of the layer B and is provided with a rearwardly-extending portion d, which projects between the heel-calks C, and at the front the plate D is provided with a toe-calk E of ordinary shape, and between this toecalk and the heel-calk C nail-holes F are pro vided in the margin of plate D, whereby the shoe may be secured to the hoof.

With this construction the heel is yieldingly supported, and owing to the position of the heelcalks near the transverse center line of the shoe it is obvious that the foot of the horse is permitted to rock slightly in walking and that no pressure will ordinarily be exerted upon the heel. The rubber and leather pads, however, are arranged to cover the heel, so as to protect it from obstructions in the roadway. The metallic portion d is preferably thickened toward the rear margin, as best illustrated in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. A horseshoe comprising the combination of rubber and metallic members, the rubber member being provided with integral heel-calks and the metallic member being provided with a toe-calk and extended rearwardly between the rubber heel-calks.

2. A horseshoe comprising the combination of rubber and metallic members, the rubber member being provided with integral heel-calks projecting downwardly on each side of the rear portion of the metallic member and the metallic member being provided with a toe-calk, said heel-calks being disposed in advance of the heel and in the rear of the transverse center line of the shoe.

3. A horseshoe comprising the combination of rubber and metallic members, the rubber member being provided with integral heel-calks projecting downwardly on each side of the rear portion of the metallic member and the metallic member being provided with a toe-calk, said metallic member being thickened from the toe-calk rearwardly.

4. A horseshoe comprising the combina tion of flexible and rigid members, the flexible member being provided with integral heel-calks located near the transverse median line of the shoe, and the rigid member being provided with a toe-ealk and having a por tion extending rearwardly between the heel calks.

5. A horseshoe comprising the combination of flexible and metallic members, the flexible member being provided with integral heel-calks projecting downwardly near each side margin and the metallic member being provided with a continuous toe portion conforming substantially to the shape of the forward portion of the hoof and having a cen- -tral portion extended rearwardly between the flexible heel-calks and of less thickness than the heel-calks..

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HAUF.

Witnesses:

LEVERETT 0. WHEELER, JAs. B. ERWIN. 

